Lifesavers: Lucknow pool set to open with 5 new staff

Rachael Hogg, Eilish Graham, Mickayla Christie and Kassidy Fischer (in the lifeguard chair) are four of the five new Lucknow pool staff, allowing the pool to be operational this summer. STEVE CORNWELL/POSTMEDIA NETWORK

Pool was a risk of reduced hours or not opening for summer without more staff

With too few people in place to staff the Lucknow pool last month, things looked dire.

Reduced hours, less swim programming and even pool closure were all considerations according to Mark Hackett, Lucknow recreation department head.

But now with five staff hired and training for the summer of programming, it looks like all things go for the Lucknow community pool.

“Pool staff are fully qualified in instructing and life guarding and will be able to teach public and private swimming lessons, lifeguard public swimming, teach aqua fitness classes, run lane swimming and other activities,” said Hackett in an email.

Joining the staff are four first-timers to the Lucknow pool. Rachael Hogg,16, Eilish Graham,19, Mickayla Christie 17, and Kassidy Fischer, 19, who is the supervisor of the pool crew. Hogg, Christie and Fischer are all from Teeswater and Graham is from Goderich.

Asked if there’s something going on in Teeswater to produce so many lifeguards, Fischer joked that “well, Teeswater has water in its name.”

Fischer, who has lifeguarded since she was 16, added that she doesn’t mind the commute from Teeswater to Lucknow.

Carmen Hamilton is also joining the team, but was not available for orientation the night of June 12. Hamilton has three years of “aquatic work experience,” according to Hackett.

In a May 7 Facebook post the Lucknow Recreation Department said that without more applicants, “the pool unfortunately will have extremely reduced hours of operation, or will not be open for the 2019 summer.” The post was shared 194 times as of June 20.

With the new team of five in place, the pool opens during Lucknow Strawberry Summerfest and has swims scheduled each day for the rest of June, as well as public swim the afternoon of Canada Day.